Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Thursday arrested 33-year-old Sagar Shevale for allegedly abandoning his grandmother, who is battling skin cancer, at a garbage dumping site in Aarey Colony on June 22. The shocking act of neglect has sparked widespread outrage and also led to the intervention by the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission.
'Dumped Granny Out Of Frustration,' Says Accused
The accused, an office boy from Hanuman Nagar in Kandivali, reportedly confessed to police that he abandoned his grandmother, Yashoda Gaikwad, out of frustration. According to an Indian Express report citing his statement, he had spent a lot of money on her treatment and was frustrated after repeated rejections by hospitals to admit her due to her deteriorating condition. Along with Shevale, police also arrested a relative and the driver of the autorickshaw used to transport Yashoda to the dumping site.
Mumbai Shocker: Cancer-Stricken Elderly Woman Abandoned In Garbage By Grandson In Aarey ColonyOn June 22, around 8 am, police received an alert about an elderly woman lying in a garbage heap near Unit 32 in Aarey Colony, Goregaon. The woman was found in a severely injured and distressed state, with visible symptoms of a serious skin condition. She identified herself as Yashoda Gaikwad and informed authorities that her grandson had abandoned her earlier that morning.
Shevale Initially Denied Abandoning Allegations
Following this, the Aarey Police registered an FIR against Sagar Shevale under Section 24 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act and Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Shevale initially denied the allegations, claiming that Yashoda had left home while the family was out and he had no knowledge of her whereabouts. However, police dismissed this version, citing the implausibility of a seriously ill woman walking all the way from Kandivali to Aarey.
Mumbai News: 70-Year-Old Woman Found Abandoned In Aarey Jungle Garbage Heap; Grandson Booked Under Senior Citizens ActCCTV Footage Shows Shevale Accompanying Grandmother
To ascertain the facts, police reviewed CCTV footage from the area, which reportedly showed Shevale accompanying his grandmother toward the location where she was later found. Based on the evidence, authorities moved to arrest him, along with others involved in the act.
Yashoda Gaikwad was rushed to Cooper Hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment and remains under medical supervision. The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has demanded a comprehensive report from both police and civic authorities. Meanwhile, several NGOs have come forward, offering assistance and care for the elderly woman during her recovery.
